Take Me Away on A Night Mare
by naf1327
Summary: Morgana had just had another dream, to start off the episode . Somehow she dreamt about a boy, someone she wasn’t even supposed to relate to. She dreamt of a masked person by the name Emrys.
1. Chapter 1

_Morgana had just had another dream, to start off the episode. But this time, it wasn't any nightmare; at least she wasn't seeing Arthur's death anywhere close, yet. Somehow she dreamt about a boy, someone she wasn't even supposed to relate to. She dreamt of a masked person by the name Emrys. Surely she wasn't to know who it was, yet. What does the dream meant? Was it just like the same nightmare before? The ones of death and blood? Or was it the other way round? Until when she woke up and found something that belonged to her wasn't at its right place, she realised something. The dream had taken its place already! Could she ever really found out what her dream meant?_

**CHAPTER 1: Sweet Dreams and Nightmares**

**Disclaimer: I wish I own something from the programme (preferably Colin Morgan), but sadly I don't own them... ******** (but if someday it was bound Colin Morgan is... he would be mine... mwahahaha!) And I don't own any of the lyrics I'm about to put in my fanfic. I own nothing and they do not belong to me.**

I hope you guys could be a little patient with me. I seemed to have the tendencies to drag some scenes and elaborate details.

'In a land of myth and a time of magic, the destiny of a great kingdom rests on the shoulders of a young boy. His name: Merlin.'

_She could hear the music fills the air. This is a dream. She was sure of it. The memories of her previous nightmares haunted her. So, she treads every step carefully. 'I am a part of this dream,' she told herself as she could see herself treaded towards the brink of nothingness except for glass mirror._

_She was wearing a ball gown. A green ball gown that hugged her body just at the right place and was loose to her lower parts of body, her hair was done into simple tie, rested on her left shoulder, bond with none but an oddly matching soft periwinkle ribbon. She was dressed for a ball, for a function, and this brink of nothingness seemed to be her dressing room. _

_Lady Morgana looked at her image on the full sized mirror. She looked elegant in the gown. And yet, she looked so simple with the hairdo. She looked... down-to-earth. More to say, she looked just like a girl. Not the usual King's ward. At least for the moment that was who she is. Just as she started to gain confidence, there was light throbbing through a corner of the dressing room. The music she heard before sounded louder as it rhymed with the light._

_Morgana took meek steps at first, only to find a gate, an entrance, precisely, following the music in the air. She was a few steps away from exiting the dressing room when she felt something wasn't right. She stopped her pace abruptly and turned around to find nothing but darkness. The dressing room was slowly dissolving away. It was like her previous dreams, or should she say, nightmares. The glass mirror was starting to break into million pieces with a deafening sound. With every moment past, the destruction progress seemed to get faster, heading towards her. She turned her heels around, with her heartbeats pounding; she swept her gown a little higher and made no doubts towards the light._

_It was like another nightmare, the destruction was chasing her, she fasten her pace until she realised she was actually sprinting across the room. 'Oh, no!' she heard her mind said. The light was starting to appear dimmer and the entrance was closing. 'Please, let me through,' she implored silently, running out of breath by the moment as she heard the piercing sound of glass breaking behind her._

_The entrance was closing, and she was three fair leaps away from the other space. 'Come on, Morgana. You can do this.' She put her feet into maximum speed. The entrance was closing faster then she could reach it. "NO!" she screamed. There was no other way. With one foot on the ground, she leaped across the entrance. There was deafening sound behind her, the room was finally destructed._

_Morgana felt something muscular, or at least human, as she landed her feet. She no longer hears the piercing sound of glass breaking. No more nightmares. Instead, she hear the same beautiful music again, with the golden light filled the room. With her eyes shut, she buried her face into what appeared to her... a man._

"_Milady?" a voice greeted her. Strangely, she knew the voice. Whose voice? She couldn't put her finger into it. _

_Morgana shot her face up in instance. She was looking into a pair of blue eyes. She couldn't make out his face as he was wearing a dark mask hiding half of his face. It took several minutes for Morgana to gather her senses and for her to realise the fact that she had, beyond her conscious had her arms wrapped around his wrapped. She took away her arms and made a distance between them, hiding her blush furiously. "I- I'm so sorry." She blushed._

_The man bows to her as she curtsied back to him. He then turned away to watch the phenomena in front of them. The room was filled with joy, music was in the air, everywhere, and people were dancing. And they wore nothing but only grandly outfits. It was a royal ball._

_Morgana took an instance liking towards the man. She couldn't explain exactly the reason. She looked at his profile, his nose is strong, and his cheeks are high. His lips... Morgana stopped and caught herself staring his lips, subconsciously wondering how was it feels against her own. She shook away the thought, embarrassed of such unladylike thought and followed his gaze._

"_The prince looked handsome tonight, don't you think so?" the man once again broke the silence between them._

_Morgana glanced at him sidelong before again, following his gaze. He was right, as Arthur stood beside his father; he looked handsome and as strong as ever. She could only smile at the comment. After so many music and songs had passed, she was aware that he wasn't to dance. "You- don't dance?" she said, half questioning her manoeuvre._

_The man turned towards her and smiled. Just for a moment Morgana thought she had lost her footing. He was charming. "I- I don't think I would want to do that." He chuckled._

_Morgana casted him a questioning look, wrapping her arms around herself. "What was that supposed to mean?"_

_He was now rubbing his nape, and Morgana can see he wasn't a great flirt as Arthur would be. Again, he reminded her of someone. "I don't really dance. Also, the fact that I couldn't find anyone to dance with me. And –"_

"_Oh, please don't give me that. You're a bad liar." Morgana teased. "Almost everyone said that and the next thing they know they were the centre of attention. Believe me." She rolled her eyes. "About the dance partner –" Morgana said with blush forming on her cheeks._

"_I won't find any if I am to stand here all night, I believe you were to say that?" he cocked his head towards her._

_Morgana was started to feel guilty and hoped she was just wake up from this dream. She couldn't make out his tone. He sounded sarcastic and knowing, but Morgana was afraid to believe he also sounded hurt, or maybe even annoyed. But then, she was snapped from her thought when the man stepped in front of her._

"_Then would you, Lady Morgana le Fay, accept my humble invitation to dance with me?" he said, offering his hand._

_Morgana stared at him for a while. Either it was her previous comment made him more courageous or it was just him. But this is a dream. Anything could happen. _

"_Look, I know it's not much but –"_

"_I accept your dance, Sir –" she asked, taking his hand into her._

"_Emrys. Just Emrys. I'm not a knight, so, no Sir for me," he replied with what sounded like an awkward chuckle._

_The dance with Emrys felt brilliant to Morgana. She just hoped it will never end. Her body distance against Emrys was now barely a meter that she could hear his breath over the music. Stop this, Morgana, this is unladylike. Yet, it felt nothing of such as she thought. Just as they were dancing, she caught herself subconsciously letting herself meeting Emrys' blue eyes._

"_How was it I just came to awareness that we were the – uh, centre of attention?" she asked softly._

"_Well," he started matter-of-factly. "Perhaps it was your beauty and my charm," he joked, before realising it was close to flirtatious and cleared his throat. "Maybe it was me, if you noticed, I am the only one who wear mask to this ball." He stated, leaning down to her ears that Morgana could hear his breath clearer. "To be honest, I wasn't supposed to be in the centre of attention." He whispered._

_Morgana looked into his eyes, although she couldn't make out any expression out of them, she subconsciously hoped he could make out something from hers._

"_Was that a joke?" she scoffed, before making contact with Emrys' eyes and blended herself into the music._

"_It's like catching lightning,_

_The chances of finding someone like you,_

_It's one in a million,_

_The chances of feeling the way we do,_

_And with every step together_

_We just keep on getting better,_

_So can I have this dance?" she sang as Emrys' eyes fall onto her back._

"_Can I have this dance?" he joined in with her, dancing her around the room along with the music, and Morgana's voice._

"_No mountain's too high enough, ocean's too wide,_

_Because together or not, _

_Our dance won't stop,"_

_Subconsciously, both Morgana and Emrys weren't in the ballroom anymore but outside nearby the greens, dancing their way under the moonlight. And beyond conscious neither did they care of them being the only singing pair, driving attention nor has the mysterious dance partner of Morgana only made the attention larger than it's already been. Somehow they seemed not to care any of it. As for Morgana, she just wished she could live this dream forever. And a part of her wishing the dream would come true, and she continued singing._

"_Let it rain, let it pour,_

_What we have is worth fighting for,_

_You know I believe,_

_That we were meant to be."_

_They had slowed down their paces of dancing. Just as they about to stop, Emrys somehow dazzled Morgana more as he sang._

"_It's like catching lightning,_

_The chances of finding someone like you,_

_It's one in a million,_

_The chances of feeling the way we do,_

_And with every step together_

_We just keep on getting better,_

_So can I have this dance?_

_Can I have this dance?" _

_Emrys breathed the last part as they pull away from each other, holding hands._

"_That was beautiful. I could not thank you enough for this wonderful moment." Morgana said as she curtsied deeply to the man in front of her._

"_No, milady." He negated, shaking his head vigorously. He took both of Morgana's shoulder into his hold. "You shouldn't curtsy to me."_

"_But –"_

"_Milady, I couldn't not promise you anything glorious, but I can promise you that I am in no lower ranks than the commoners themselves." He stated matter-of-factly._

_Morgana didn't want to admit that he was right. She hated that, a bit. The man made sense, even when he was out of flirtatious comment and was filled by common sense. It was nice sometimes, just to get a rest from bickering with Arthur. Morgana took out her blue handkerchief. It was old fashioned, she knew, but alas, that was what she got at the moment._

"_Then I would like you to have this as a token of my gratitude. No man could promise me a night just as fabulous as this just yet. Thank you, Emrys." She handed her handkerchief to him with pride._

_Emrys took the handkerchief with a sincere smile. "You knew you are always welcomed. Always, in my heart." He said as he lowered his hold on Morgana to her hands. "This will be a night to remember. Always will be." He added, as he drew himself closer to her._

_Morgana could almost hear her heart pounding as the suspense moment took place. It was like they were moving in slow motion, and Morgana surprisingly found that she hated it and it hurts her to wait like this. Then it happened, their lips finally met and they kissed. She felt hands wrapping around her waist as she subconsciously, again, running her hands into his hair. _

_Their kiss lasted long enough until they hear a neigh, unlikely neigh of a mare in the midst of the music and noises. They pulled away, compromising their needs of breathing._

"_I'm sorry, milady. My Night Mare waited long enough for me." He said, kissing her hand. He turned to go._

"_Emrys." She called, but sadly he appeared not to hear her._

"_Emrys!" she called again, louder this time._

_Somehow the man did nothing but continued to fade away._

"_Emrys!!!" she was on top of her lungs now._

Merlin woke up in the middle of the night bolted in his own room, the same dark room on the same old bed, or what could almost be said as cot. Someone had just called him. And it wasn't the dragon. This time, he could tell it was a girl who called him. It was repeated. Again and again. He wasn't sure what he was dreaming, but surely it doesn't involve any girl or any bloody scenes like Morgana would. Was he getting the same ability Morgana had?

He was about to get up to seek for clues in the sorcery book he's been using until he noticed something blue by his bedside. It was a handkerchief. "How on earth did this lucky piece of thing get here?" he asked specifically to no one, seemingly he was the only awaken person at the moment.

Merlin decided he would just keep the handkerchief to himself while he found the owner. Until then, he sat back on his bed, thinking of what he had heard, or what he thought he had heard. He hated this. He hated when his sleep was pretty much interrupted by the callings. Previously his sleeps were interrupted by the Great Dragon. Now, he vowed whatever happen, he would not seek for the Dragon again. _'Could it be?'_ he thought the possibility. "No, it couldn't be her. I destroyed her myself." He said to himself.

"Then there was only one's left. Morgana. Surely she wasn't aware that I was too, a sorcerer. And how could she learnt of my other name?" he questioned, finally beyond his awareness was drifted again into sleep.

The next morning wasn't any better. Merlin got to the castle only to found an ever annoyed and headstrong Arthur, again, founded red handed bickering with the beautiful Morgana. _'Wait, what did I just call her? Uh-oh.' _He cleared his throat to get some attention from his master.

"There you are. Couldn't you for once, Merlin, on behalf of Camelot, for once, not be late?" Arthur grunted in anger.

"Well, there was a pity way of releasing your tension." Morgana sneered as a gleeful smirk formed on her face.

"He's always late, Morgana. What else could I say about that?"

"At least something nicer than what appeared to me a fit of rage you gave him just now. But it's so you not to do so, isn't it?" her sarcasm appeared sharper by the moments.

"Um, am I needed here? Because I recall Gwen asked for help just as I'm about to get here." Merlin snapped both Arthur and Morgana off from their bickering schemes. As soon as the two pairs of eyes fell upon him, Merlin felt the rush of uneasiness and regretted he ever caught the attention for himself.

"Good that you asked. I am getting sore of the battle of mind with the lady. I have training." The prince huffed, unaware he just gave in another fault.

"Oh. The battle of mind? With a lady? Arthur, you do know how to make a prat of yourself, don't you?" she said, taking every advantages she had found to fire her crown prince.

"Are you planning to watch me change?" Arthur replied her sarcastic comment lazily.

"Well, is that an invitation?" she asked, eyeing both Merlin and Arthur with rather captivating eyes.

Merlin looked at her incredulously as he noticed the crown prince had already had blushes forming on his cheeks. Merlin couldn't explain the reasons, but he felt his heart beats a little too faster than usual when she said that, almost hurting him. Yet with her eyes upon him on the latter, he felt a rush of relieve came into him that it was only another sarcastic jokes she managed. _'Naughty Morgana. Had she never changed one bit of my affection.'_

Morgana casted them both a flirtatious smile before broke into laughter. "I'll see you later, boys." She shook her head as she passed them both, closing the door behind her.

Merlin couldn't help but to trail along Morgana's leave from the room. Now there's left him and the prince in the room. He casted a look at the prince. He seemed not over yet from the little scheme. "You alright there, sire?" he asked, breaking the silence in purpose to make sure if his prince isn't mute yet. _'Poor Arthur, he's raving red,'_ he couldn't help the smile escape from his lips.

"Just take me my tunic and we're done." He said in a hoarse voice.

Meanwhile, Gwen was having a little same problem with her mistress too. Out of the blue, Morgana showed interest in music and dance. "And since when were you becoming this interested in dance and music?" she asked as they were walking in the well, garden.

Morgana stopped at the very same spot she had kissed the mysterious man of her dream last night. "Emrys." She breathed as she shook her head into the reality and let out a small laughter.

"Emrys? Milady, if I may –"

"He was just a dream, Gwen. Nothing else. Just a sweet dream I would forever remember." Morgana stated, a smile escaped from her delicate lips.

Gwen looked at her lady in interest. She stood by Morgana's side as she leaned forward against a wall. Never yet Morgana had sweet dreams, or talk of sweet dreams. All she could remember was either Morgana woke up in the middle of the night, screaming either Arthur's name or without his name and she woke up next morning looking gloomy and uneasy. Gwen casted Morgana a look that could almost said, _'Go on, you know you want to tell me about it,'_

Morgana for one thing, again, let out the small laughter that could melt anyone she wanted. She told everything to Gwen, knowing her maidservant could be trusted. They share their moments of gushing when it came to the kissing, unconsciously made them both looked just like girls of young age.

Uther, at the moment was passing by the corridor glanced at them with mere satisfied smile. "Ah, it was nice to see you smiling just as to hear you laughing again, Morgana." He greeted them as both of the girls curtsied to him. He nodded back with a smile. It was strange, to see Morgana extraordinarily happy, at least she's happier than the other day. "Am I the one to know what brings my ward into her happiness today?" he asked, silently prying.

"Only the best, my lord." She curtsied again, showing signs she will say no more of the conversation with the king.

Uther raised his eyebrow and casted the two girls a questioning look. "Do I sense secrecies around here?" he asked more to Gwen than Morgana.

"It's just the girls' secrets, my lord." Gwen curtsied deeply at the king.

Uther looked at the girls in front of him repeatedly. "Be as it may, good day, maidens." He said as he walked away towards the ball room.

Gwen and Morgana watched their king as he wondered away towards the corridor before exchanging glances between them and bursting into fits of giggle. "So, milady, what were you saying before we were interrupted?" she asked, taking Morgana's hands into hers.

"I gave him my handkerchief, as a token of my likeness to him." Morgana said. She sensed Gwen was about to make comment towards her dream and she added. "I know it was nearly cliché, but that was all I got at the moment."

"Milady, that was almost... romantic." Gwen said with a sigh.

"Gwen?" Morgana looked at her maidservant incredulously. "You swooned." She teased.

Gwen blushed at the comment as she mildly swatted Morgana's arm. "Where would you like to go after this?" she asked.

"Preferably meeting the boys, the last time I left them alone Arthur was raving red. Poor boy, I must've violated the laws of our sarcastic schemes a bit." Morgana joked as she trailed along the corridor.

Their short journey was silent. It bothers Gwen too little too much as all Morgana did was smiling gleefully. Obviously, Morgana hadn't once stopped thinking of the dream. She started to wonder the lucky and mysterious man that succeeded to steal Morgana's heart and half of her sanity.

"Gwen," Morgana called her maidservant and breaking the silence between them. When there was no verbal reply made by the maidservant, Morgana continued her intention. "Do you think the dream would come true?" she asked. "My previous dreams had always come true, in a way or the other way round." She dropped her tone so only two of them could hear what had been said. The last thing Morgana needed now was someone prying on her secrets.

"I'm not the one to tell you, milady. I'm sorry." She said, curtsied to Morgana.

Their journey turned out to return to Morgana's room as she had forgotten something to take with her before they went down to meet Arthur. Morgana was for some reason played with her paint when her hand was smeared with green paint by accident. "Oh, no." She said rueing the moment she decided to play with paints. She searched her table for her blue handkerchief but only to be disappointed as it was nowhere to be found. "Gwen!" she called, as her maidservant obediently hurried over her. "Help me find my handkerchief, please. I rue the moment I lay my hands on paints." Morgana said.

After minutes of disappointment passed, Morgana finally gave in to clean her hand with a cloth Gwen handed her. Her handkerchief was nowhere to be seen, that meant only one thing to Morgana. "The dream is true, Gwen, in some way or the other way round." She said.

Gwen shot her mistress an incredulous look. "Then, it would mean one thing, my lady." She said, holding Morgana's hands. "Your Emrys would have your handkerchief in his keep." She said which made her mistress smiled. "We should be going." She said after a moment.

As both of the maidens were on their way towards the practicing square, the very men they sought for were already making their way in their direction. They assumed both Arthur and Merlin were to return to the prince's room. "There you are." Morgana greeted his prince as their eyes met.

Arthur who couldn't yet get over by his previous embarrassment quickly avoided her gaze. His action was then led to an awkward silence. "Morgana." He said, blushing a little furiously.

"Merlin. It was nice meeting you." She said as she laid eyes on the prince's manservant. She was sent into questions when both of the men in front of her were behaving quite oddly. She was about to say something when Merlin took her chances.

"Likewise, milady. I can see you're in your extreme happiness, today. I wonder what Gwen did to please you?" Merlin joked; unconsciously the contagious charm of Arthur's started to rub on him.

Gwen did nothing to reply but to glare at the other servant with a look that could almost kill him. "You sounded like the king when he passed by us this morning."

"I see our prince here is all _wet_... with _sweat_." She said, joking and emphasising at the rhymed words. With a small laugh she passed them by, only to whisper to them. "See you at dinner tonight." She moved just her delicate fingers in sign to wave at them. "Let's leave them for the time being, Gwen." She said with a last glance that wore a smile, she was gone from the men's sight.

"She is sure in good mood today," Merlin shrugged, only to find his prince let out a sigh. _'What had gotten into Arthur?'_

Right! At last, I'm done with the first chapter. I thought this would go on forever. So, what had gotten into Arthur? And Merlin, is he ever going to find out about the handkerchief he kept? What about Morgana? Will she ever get over her dream and act natural? Please, my sincerest hope, tell me how do you feel and tell me what'd you think? I gladly welcome ideas, if you had any ideas for me you'd like me to write, you know what to do, Review! Review!


	2. Chapter 2

**Arrgh! I hate writer's block. I'm sorry but this was all I got for the time being, I'm trying to get in 'a little into Merlin's head'. It might be a little weird. Tell me you how think later, yeah? Thanks to comments and reviews! I love you all. I'm so very sorry for being late. I just done taking trial exams and a little bit distracted from the story. Enjoy!**

**CHAPTER 2: PLANS AND MANOEUVRES **

**DISCLAIMER: I wish I own something from this show but I don't. Minus this idea, it was little bit mine. I hate doing this, and I knew a lot of people hate it too, Merlin is not mine at all, so does the songs and the lyrics I'm about to put (if any). But I kept wishing Colin Morgan would be mine, uhucks. :p And I'm so very sorry for late posting... Seriously, I do. It's writer's block. And exams. I know I should've built a forum or anything about this... I love y'all!**

**Previously on Take Me Away on a Night Mare...**

"_Then would you, Lady Morgana le Fay, accept my humble invitation to dance with me?" _

"_I accept your dance, Sir –"_

"_Then I would like you to have this as a token of my gratitude. No man could promise me a night just as fabulous as this just yet. Thank you, Emrys."_

"_I'm sorry, milady. My Night Mare waited long enough for me."_

"_Emrys!!!"_

"How on earth did this lucky piece of thing get here?"

"Are you planning to watch me change?"

"Well, is that an invitation?"

"Your Emrys would have your handkerchief in his keep."

"See you at dinner tonight."

'_What had gotten into Arthur?'_

"_Emrys,"_ there was the voice again, the female voice that had been calling him last night. Merlin turned around but to found nobody was around. There was only him and Arthur in the room. Merlin casted a weird look to himself. _'That was strange,' _his mental commented. "Am I going to be needed tonight?" Merlin broke the silence.

Arthur seemed he had been snapped out from his thought. "Were you always with me at dinner?" he questioned Merlin back. Right, so things weren't very well went around with Arthur. _'Why?'_ he asked himself.

"I take that as you'll be dining with the King tonight." Merlin said, feeling a bit disappointed. Odds are, he wasn't very sure why. Perhaps it was Morgana. What did Morgana have to do with his disappointment? 'Okay, perhaps I'm a little over the top.' Merlin berated himself mentally. There was perfectly no reason why he should feel or disappointed Arthur dining with Morgana and Uther like they used to since before Merlin came to the town. Even if Arthur and Morgana were meant to be together, there's nothing Merlin should be sad about. Arthur was his best friend, even he's the biggest bully Merlin had ever met and Morgana is... _'Not mine. She is not mine.'_ Merlin could hear his mind knocking him back into the reality.

"Wish me I won't make a prat of myself, then," Arthur let out a sigh. He settled down on his grand chair. Well, it seemed everything in his room is all grand and princely. So Arthur-ian. Even in the brink of nothingness, as in, out of trouble, Arthur seemed troubled. _'Because you never stopped thinking of small matters and takes your scheme with Morgana a little too seriously.'_

"Then I would suggest it would be the best if I were to serve for you at dinner tonight." Merlin said, hiding his relieved tone as he found another way to tail along.

"Wh- Why- What does that has anything to do with dinner?" Arthur asked while scowling. _'Argh, why does going to dinner have to be a trouble now?'_ he grunted.

Merlin saw the scowl and heard the grunt from Arthur. He was, silently pleased with himself. He did nothing verbal to reply but to cast Arthur knowing look.

"Fine." Arthur made an exasperated groan. "Perhaps you're right." He said, exiting his room.

***

Things hadn't been easier for Gwen as her Lady Morgana still seemed to lose half of her sanity. "Milady, seriously, you need to stop sounding daft and start sounding saner." She finally said to Morgana when her heart could not contain any more of the madness.

Morgana shot her maidservant a semi-dangerous look. "Gwen," she said. There was difference in her tone now. There was maturity, less girlish and also seriousness tone.

Gwen noticed Morgana's change of expression. She looked thoughtful and serious. Gwen could almost swear she had lost her breath waiting for the next word that would come from Morgana.

"You believe in me, don't you?" she asked. Now, that was quite a strange question Morgana found herself asking. She somehow started to doubt her manoeuvre of letting Gwen know her secrets. Including her secret of being a Seer.

"Of course I do, or else I wouldn't be here with you for long." Gwen said. She was rather hurt Morgana would ever doubt her loyalty and honesty. "Why the sudden question?"

Morgana planned nothing to answer Gwen. Instead, she closed her eyes and drew a breath. Gwen was right, she needed to stop sounding so daft and be herself again. There was just one thing she saw out of the darkness; Emrys. "Merlin is a cute boy, isn't he?" she asked. Morgana was herself shocked at the question she asked. She was herself unsure why she asked the unexpected question, nor what Merlin had anything to do with it. And now that she had brought the comment, she felt more uneasy. What would Gwen think of her? _'Come on, Morgana. What happened to you?'_ her mind told her. _'You know what happened to you. You felt something. There's something more beyond Merlin than you knew.'_ Another voice told her. She knew the voice. It came from her very heart. It's best to get closer to him later on.

"I thought you had your eyes on Arthur?"

"Gwen—"

"I meant half of the girls in this kingdom are after him." Gwen joked. "Despite of what he is." She added.

"What, a crown prince? A handsome one to add to the fact. Uh-huh. He sure got a lot of fans." Morgana agreed. Arthur may be a bully, for all those things he did to Merlin, he could be as dense or thick-headed as anyone might be, but he's the charm every girl would dream to have. Including Gwen no matter how hard she tried to conceal the fact. Morgana could see right through her. He wasn't all that bad. There's more to Arthur than the big, annoying royal prat.

"Anyway, now that you got your heart for Emrys, why Merlin?" she asked, slowly getting into seriousness. For the sake of sanity, since Gwen served Morgana, she faced and went through nothing but nightmares with her. Morgana had dreamt about a man. She was half insane already about that. That could only mean two things, either Morgana was really into Emrys, or that dream is a beginning of another disaster. Gwen gave herself a muted scowl as she did not want anything bad happen to her lady.

"That's the problem. I— I honestly don't know." Morgana shifted her position. "Gwen, could it be in any situation Emrys could be anyone who I've seen everyday? He didn't say he was a knight, nor did he claim to be royalty. Or could this all be just an intuition?"

Gwen, who has been tending the room, for once stopped her chores and walked towards Morgana. "Milady, even if it's an intuition, it's an early sign for you, right?" she said, subconsciously soothing Morgana. "Have your intuition ever been wrong? Have your dreams never once come true? Even if it was Arthur's death. It always happens, in a way or another round." Gwen told her, recalling those hard times. "You're a Seer, you've never been wrong. Never yet."

Morgana was a little relieved to hear that. At the very least, there was a friend beside her ready to catch her when she's about to topple over the edge. "Gwen, seriously, I know this is going to sound sentimental, but I don't know what to say. Clearly, you're the only one who spoke to me like no one else does yet. I couldn't thank you enough, Gwen." She said, hugging her maidservant.

"And I don't believe I'm about to say something sentimental too, but here goes. Just do me one favour at the moment, keep your senses to the present surrounding. As you said, your Emrys could be there." Gwen told her. "Now, come on, you're almost late for dinner."

***

The dine table was pretty stiff. It seemed like everyone was lost for words, or in their own thoughts. Arthur seemed more relaxed than he had been today. He's a little to over the schemes by now. Morgana looked tense on the other hand, as she was trying to keep to her senses and avoid herself from drifting back to Emrys. Uther, well, anyone might likely say he looked more thoughtful than he would at dining table. He had been staring his plate for quite a long time by now. Merlin and Gwen could almost burst into laughter imagining Uther's stare would conjure a laser light and split the plate into half.

"So, have we nothing to talk about tonight?" Arthur broke the silence. He also gained himself blatant attention from everyone in the room. Not that there was many people there, there's just the three of them, plus Merlin and Gwen, and a couple of guards on station. Arthur could handle this stiff attention rather easily, much better than Merlin would the very least. He is the crown prince, after all. "Have you no news about the town, Father?" he asked.

"I thought it was your responsibility to make sure everything's fine and report it to me, not the other way around." Uther cast his son a disbelieving look. In this state, he wouldn't want to believe his son had become a forgetful prince. Too much strange things happened today.

Arthur was gobsmacked. _'I didn't expect this to come,'_ he said to himself. Now he had gave away his fault of making a prat of himself. _'Morgana would love this.'_ He berated himself. Odds are, Morgana seemed as if she hadn't been paying any attention to him. _'That was something new,'_ He noticed the look Merlin gave him from where he stood behind Morgana. Arthur understood the message to play cool and not making himself a continuous prat. "Of course. I was just wondering if you've heard anything concerning the people in your way in and out." Arthur said casually.

That claim had gained Arthur a surprised look from Morgana. Perhaps she was paying attention after all. There was hardly the time she was amazed by Arthur. Now that she was, Morgana couldn't help herself but to give Arthur a smile, before turning away as he caught her eyes. _'This is strange. Why did I felt like his gaze was different today?'_

"Wise move. Speaking of in and out, I've been thinking. Morgana, isn't your birthday coming up?" Uther asked, in which he was replied with a curt and meek nod. "I would be out of town for a while. Until then, I would like you, my son, take the town a good care, will you? I'm not leaving the kingdom, and I won't be gone for long." He said.

"Of course, Father. Anything you said," he accepted. This was quite normal. His father went out of town, even if he went out of kingdom, it had been an annual routine for Arthur. And he never had any trouble taking a good care of his place. There were always the knights and the lords to help him. Most importantly, there's Merlin and Morgana, beside Gwen, who kept him from acting too childish. Although Morgana had always said it wasn't really his duty taking his father's place as his father hasn't yet leave the kingdom, Arthur felt it's a start of a good practice to become a king.

"Then in the time I shall return, we would be planning for your birthday." Uther noted towards Morgana. "Or do you have something in mind already?"

"A masquerade ball would be nice. Don't you think so, Arthur?" she suggested, which earned a clueless look from Arthur. "All those masked face, the music, dancing."

"Ah. A pretty outcome, my dear. A mysterious ball." Uther agreed, impressed by the choice of his ward.

'_Masquerade? What was she thinking? If this ball was meant to be a part of Emrys-hunting, she's blowing it.' _Gwen gave a small cough of warning to Morgana. _'If she wanted a chance to make this right and her dream come true, this is it.'_

"What's your preference of guest? Or the themes, perhaps?" Uther cut in before either Morgana or Arthur could say a word.

Morgana knew she had made a mistake as she heard the kind of warning code Gwen gave. Perhaps this was her chance. The only chance to find her Emrys. "I like the sound of inviting everyone."

"Everyone?"

Morgana thought back her decision. Emrys did not claim to be royalty. He even said he was lower than the commoner. But that could probably just a joke. "Yes, meaning anyone who could attend the ball is invited. Should it be slaves or commoner, royalty or traveller."

"Your ball would turn into a circus, Morgana." Arthur said in antagonizing her, despite the fact he had just comprehend what his father and Morgana were talking about.

"Be as mad as it may sound, but that was exactly how I imagined. What do you think, sire?" Morgana said, rising to the challenge.

"Unique. Might as well to give it a try. And Arthur, I would like you take the chance to get closer to the people. I've made many mistakes, but I don't want you to take my wrong leads." He said.

Morgana let out a satisfied sigh as she heard the king. She casted Arthur a gleeful look. Her face even wore the triumphant smile she used to wear when they were both young, signifying she had won the challenge. She somehow made no verbal reply.

When the two people beside him made no verbal reply, Uther thought it was best for them to settle down with their dinner. "Well, what else are we waiting for? Help yourself out."

***

"May I walk you to your room?" Arthur asked Morgana as soon as they were out of the dining room.

Morgana couldn't find the right word to describe this, but she knows that this was really awkward. If Morgana had not known better, she would have said that Arthur might finally have a thing for her. At which point, she really doubted that. _'I meant, come on, Morgana, you've been all over for him all these years, you would know the look if it was anywhere near the truth.'_ She commented to herself. She took a deep breath as she finally decided to reply the crown prince. "Of course," she nodded. She let Arthur takes the lead.

As they walked through the long hallway while getting to Morgana's room, neither of Morgana nor Arthur had said anything to pass the time. It even seemed like they did not even have the intention to start a conversation. Morgana finally felt she couldn't take anymore of this absurdity, for once in what seemed to her as hours, while it was actually a fair few minutes, decided to say something. "Well," she started. To be honest, that was the only thing she could think of right now, and she does hope for Arthur's wit to continue or at least say something in return, even if she know it wouldn't result in much success. But it would worth the try. "You sounded as if you were to say something that was likely urgent."

Arthur casted Morgana a dubious look. It was obvious that he himself had been lost in his own thoughts. Apparently he had forgotten what he intended to discuss along his escort towards Morgana's room. "Huh?" is the only thing he reacted with.

"You volunteered to walk me to my room, remember?" Morgana reminded the blonde crown prince. "The way you said it like you were going to something that was likely urgent." She repeated her previous line before she reminded him of the volunteer. Morgana did not skip the look in Arthur's eyes for once. She saw it, the difference. There was something that was likely bothering Arthur, if not more. "Is something wrong?" she asked.

"I was just thinking." Arthur said, and it gained him a pretty attention from his father's ward. "Okay, look, I do think," he added.

"I did not say anything to negate your perception." Morgana retorted with a smirk.

"You intended to turn your birthday ball into a town square circus, what are the odds?" Arthur started. "I have pretty question here, why?" he asked.

"Well, that was a pretty much of your pretty question." She replied. Surely Arthur had not been hoping she would confide into him? _'Morgana Le Fay won't confide into the royal prat. Nor anyone. No matter what it takes to keep it secret.'_ She told herself. _'Excluding Gwen, of course. She would've known after all.'_ "Do you suppose that I will tell you?" she asked him back.

"I do suppose you would give me an answer, not a returned question." He said. Arthur could not believe it, after all this time, Morgana was just keeps getting better at the little schemes of hers. Whatever she was up to, he ought to know.

"Wise manoeuvre, your Highness." She curtsied. Morgana felt that Arthur, in his awareness or not, was doing better in persuading her. Perhaps she should tell him something close enough to cover her story. After all, if there was more questions likely to come from Arthur, he will bound to figure she was... well, in love. And that fact is what Morgana wanted him to be amongst the last people on earth to know, for some guilty pleasure.

"Well?" he asked.

Morgana sighed before she had anything. She looked at Arthur in hope he could say something that would please her. _'Probably, "You don't have to say it, I don't want to know what scheme you had in mind." Yeah, that will do greatly.'_ She muttered in her mind. "I intended to search for a certain person, that's all." She told him.

"And you risk your chances of finding the person in easier way? Morgana, that was the stupidest idea I've ever heard from you." He chided.

"Well, at least when they know they were invited, they will come, won't they?" Morgana replied with her expression remained the same.

Arthur could almost gape right there if he hadn't thought of maintaining his impression before Morgana. _'That made sense,'_ he thought. Somehow, he was not about to give in. "How can you be so sure he or she will be coming to the ball?" he challenged.

"Let's just say, we were expecting each other." Morgana replied with a cool tone.

Arthur's face fell. He could merely sense there was something going on here. _'Now's not the time to be sentimental. It's just not you.'_ He decided it was the best if he just drops the topic off the conversation. Arthur felt as if he had lost his mood for anything right now. "Well, if that's that, it pretty much made sense." He said.

Arthur's last sentences gained himself a mere stare from Morgana. This is pretty unexpected. Morgana was no fool in this kind of matter. And she was certainly no fool in any matter when it came to Arthur. She had known him like the back of her hand. Well, at least, symbolically. She could almost swear she saw disappointment in his eyes. Did he actually hoping on her? She couldn't tell. She was a Seer, but she was no psychic. Then when she saw the look in his eyes, she could not believe even half of this. Arthur Pendragon she knew does not back off of her without an argument. That was what made their friendship special.

As if sensing the uneasiness in the air, Arthur cleared his throat and brought them both back to reality. "Well, good night then," he said, turning his heels around. He made his way without turning back, like he always does.

Morgana had done nothing than just watched him went by. There was something that she said bothered him. _'He got the look of a poor boy. A mere dreamer.'_ She thought silently. She remembered the last time she went crazy for him, chasing him down the steps just to stop him from getting to his death. She must've have looked miserably disturbed. And she recalled the looks of Merlin and Arthur upon her that very day. None of them took her seriously. She felt like she would have smacked Merlin that very moment if she hadn't been too worried about Arthur's matter of life and death. And yet, right there she got it now. The almost same look of hers on Arthur's just now. And the disappointment she saw was the disappointment of the fact she could not believe him enough to confide into him. Morgana brought herself back to the present with a little mental knocking. "This might need a little get-to-used-to," she shook her head and entered her room.

***

"Merlin, if you don't mind me asking, is there anything happening between the sets of you boys and girls?" Gaius asked as he was having his breakfast with Merlin in their quarter.

Merlin's head shot up in instance as he heard the question. He sat there, holding his spoon and stared at Gaius with a blank look for a certain while, until he finally decided it was a silly thing to do and replied, "Huh?" well, that was not brilliant reply either.

"For goodness sake, Merlin. Is there something bothering you? You looked like you hadn't been sleeping last night." Gaius said, sensing the strange reaction from Merlin. It had been a long time since the last time he saw that look on that boy's face.

Merlin gave his 'teacher' a smile. If only he had known. He did slept, but only to find it was filled with pretty weird and disturbing dreams about a certain girl that he knows. "It's just Arthur I'm worrying about. He's been acting quite strangely around Morgana lately, don't you think?" he stated.

Gaius returned to his breakfast as he put down the book that was in his hold. "Yes, yes, in fact, he did look a bit awkward lately. Did they have another scheme?" he asked in between his talk and breakfast.

"Only the best," Merlin let out a small laugh as he settled with his breakfast. "Do you think, by any chances that Arthur might be... well, in love?" he asked. It had hurt him to ask such things about Arthur. _'Supposing I should be asking about me,'_ he berated himself.

Gaius paused from his actions and looked at Merlin. He gave the boy the kind of look like he could read the boy's mind. But that's silly. Gaius is not does not telepath, he is just a genius. "I've never thought of that. Now that you've mention it," he said, rose from his seat. "He might as well is," he added.

Merlin rose from his seat as well, heading to the exit. If anything Gaius had said was true, he had only one thing left to do, at least for now. 'Best hope he wasn't in love in Morgana.' He told himself. But then again, why would he care? 'I meant, Arthur has every right to fall in love to someone as... indescribable as her.' He berated himself non-stop. This is getting silly by the moment. Merlin couldn't figure out why he could be so... sentimental about things like these. Perhaps it was jealousy. 'Now, why would I be jealous?' he heard his mind asking. He got his hand on the door handle, ready to step out of the quarters and face another day, and maybe meet awkwardness between Arthur and Morgana. Still, he seemed to refuse something that was so obvious to him. 'Because you love her first.' He said in his heart.

"Where do you think you're going?" Gaius' voice brought him back like a wakeup call.

Merlin did not turn to reply. He just opened the door. "I couldn't be late again, today, now could I?" he asked, exiting the room. "It's time to make move, Merlin." He said, bearing a plan in his mind. Perhaps it is time to give Morgana the hint how he had been feeling.

**THERE! The next chapter. And I'm soo terribly sorry this one was very very late... I had exams... schools...homeworks... not to mention lack of idea, a.k.a. writer's block. So, I'll make this one up for you guys out there. Hit me back with some reviews and I'll be on my way for the next chapter... like I'll be starting tonight??? Anyhow, I love your reviews, and thank you soo much!!! MWAH!!! ;)**


	3. Chapter 3

**Hey there! Thanks for those amazing reviews! I appreciate it very much. Especially my first reader, MiVarFan93, this one is for your favour to update... heh. Sorry if this one was getting too long for you guys to wait, somehow, I ran out of ideas, I'm not a great flirt... or romance, (sounded like somebody I know). Anyhow, here goes the other chapter. And to make it up, I'm proud to say this was my longest piece so far... and I inserted a suggestion I got from the review... thanks a lot! And I dedicated this chapter to those who just love Merlin, especially if he was with Morgana. I hope you'll enjoy it. Lots of you...**

**CHAPTER THREE: GUISE AND MASQUERADED**

**DISCLAIMER: I for one and all eternity do not own anything from this TV show. But I really wish Colin Morgan is. In a way or another.**

**---**

_**Previously on Take Me Away on A Night Mare...**_

"_Do you think, by any chances that Arthur might be... well, in love?"_

"_He might as well is,"_

'_Best hope he wasn't in love in Morgana.'_

'_Now, why would I be jealous?'_

"_It's time to make move, Merlin."_

---

_She was at the same place again, this time; she was sitting near the windowsill of the chamber. The room and the rest of the castle seemed to be out of light. Of course, it should be, it's like in the middle of the night. Yet, the elegant lady just sat there on her bed, imagining herself being Rapunzel. Waiting for the prince to call for her and take her loneliness away. She had been missing him. Banal, yes, but that was what the folks said about falling in love. At least, that was what she thought she was feeling. It was divine, if not love. She knew this was called immature and being silly, but still, something inside her soul told her she should wait a little bit longer. So, she decided to give it a whirl and follow the voice within her. So she sat there and continued waiting. Humming what appeared to her like a prayer._

_Then she heard an unlikely familiar sound of neighing mare. She rose from her current position as motioned towards her windowsill. She saw a mare, not a royally steed or mighty looking stallion, it was just an ordinary dark mare. On the mare, a masculine figure sat, seeming to be searching for somebody. So the lady narrowed her eyes to get herself a clearer view, only to find she was delighted herself. "Emrys!" she whispered._

_As if the masked rider could hear her whisper, he turned around and welcomed her with a smile. He did not have to say anything such like, 'Bring your hair down,' to get to her. The lady herself made her way to the exit of her bedchamber, dressed in her nightdress and ran through the castle to get to him. He may not be a prince, but to her, he is princely enough._

_After what had seemed to her as hours of running and rushing to get over to him, she finally could face the same face she waited so long. Not it was long, but pretty long that she had to wait the whole living day, and to bear a night without dreaming about him again. 'Stop this absurdity, Morgana!' she thought to herself. When she finally met his eyes, she was only breathing a little too heavily. Not being able to say anything wise at the moment, she smiled as she was trying to keep her breathing steady. "Emrys," she smiled again, breathing out her heavy breath before drowning herself in a kiss she wished she could live in._

***

Merlin shot his eyes opened at once upon hearing the voice. It was the girl again. If his previous hearing had sounded desperate, this time, he felt something different about her tone. She had called him as if they had known each other for quite some long time. As if they know each other very well. Merlin rose up and sat on his bed in slow motion. He got up and went to retrieve the blue handkerchief he 'mysteriously' got from under the sheets. _'As if the girl and the handkerchief were related,'_ he thought. Now, Merlin was at lost, he did not know what to do, or where to head to. If it wasn't for the Great Dragon selfishness to let Merlin watch someone to die for the sake of his 'destiny', Merlin would've gone to him for help. Now, he had absolutely nowhere to head to. Nobody was around to give him a thought for it. Arthur? No, he did not want the prince to get uneasy all over than he already is. Gwen? No, Gwen has enough from Morgana, he did not want to add any more to it. Morgana? Definite no, they were close, but nowhere close enough to trade dreams or anything. There is just one person left. _'Gaius,'_ he thought. _'Yes, he would understand... or at least will try to,'_ he assured himself of his decision. _'Yes, that was it... yes, perhaps I should go back to sleep,'_ he told himself mentally.

Merlin got ready the next morning finding Gaius was 'playing' with his chemistry set. Now would be the perfect moment, before he chided Merlin off to his chores. Merlin thought he could do Arthur a favour by letting him dream a little more before he came along. He motioned towards Gaius, getting a clearer view of what he was actually doing. Apparently, he was doing his reading and research. What are the odds?

"If you have a question to be asked, you better not to waste any more of your time, and mine, too." Gaius snapped him out of his thought. Gaius received a dubious look from the younger boy in front of him. He then got the idea that Merlin would be thinking he is a telepathic, when the reality is that Gaius knew Merlin all too well.

"If I didn't know you better, I would say that you had been reading my mind," Merlin joked, only to be returned with a glare. "Uh- I don't know how to start on this," he stuttered. "I've been hearing voices lately. A female voice. At night time, you see. Almost reminded me of someone," he told the physician.

Gaius stopped for a while and looked at Merlin. He had seen those looks he was seeing now before. Either it was Merlin's destiny, or his feeling, Gaius couldn't tell. Perhaps this was one of the disadvantages of being a warlock, and being one of who does not really know his own potential. "Not the Great Dragon you've been seeing behind my back all this while?" he quizzed, and he did those weird expressions with his eyebrows.

Merlin was caught in his blank state now. He did not know how to cover himself now. He did not even sure if he should tell Gaius about this. The Great Dragon was selfish, yes, he is. He would not help anyone but himself. That was what he care for all Camelot. _'Why all of the mighty beings have to end up being pathetically self-centred and arrogant?'_ Merlin whined to himself. "I hadn't been seeing him anymore." He said, actually, half stuttering.

"So I noticed." Gaius said. He saw the look in Merlin eyes. There was anger and disappointment. Of what, that Gaius could not tell. Perhaps there was a problem between the young warlock and the great beast down the castle. That was the result of Merlin's refusing to seek for the Great Dragon. Merlin would not be opening up to Gaius about this kind of things if he still has the Great Dragon consult. "And you've come to seek my consultant?" Gaius asked, only to receive himself a nod. "I'm honoured." He said.

Merlin shifted his position uneasily. This is might get a little while to be used to. Don't misunderstand him; he had never received an honour from someone he looked upon. Even if it was merely for a joke. _Poor boy._ "So, do you have any idea about it?" he asked the physician.

"Hmm. It would be tough. I might as well recall those old magic books I once read to you now, mightn't I?" he stated. Gaius stopped from his experiment with lord knows what and began to search for his bookshelf. "Just to set the things straight, you're not having the same situation as Morgana, are you?" he asked.

"Uh- did I suppose to answer that? No, I don't think so. I was just hearing voices, not having raving dreams or nightmares that would make me waking up and screaming for anyone." He explained his situation like his life was depending on it. Then, it hit him. "Like the druid boy." He said.

Gaius examined Merlin with one of his looks. "Are you trying to say that whoever that had been calling you has somewhat a magical bond to you?" he asked. "And how do you supposed this female called you?" he inquired, without waiting for an answer to the previous question.

"Well, she didn't actually call my name—" he explained just when he got himself a glare, he added, "She called me Emrys. Just like the druid boy did."

"Magical beings have somewhat magical connection amongst them. They could feel each other's presence. And in this case, hear each other." Gaius stated.

"Like me and the Great Dragon," Merlin said. Still, to Merlin, that does not give away much of what had been bothering him for a few nights. And that did not exactly explain the presence of the handkerchief that had _magically_ appeared at his bedside. "You are saying whoever had been calling me is a sorcerer as well," he said.

Gaius nodded in grimace. "I'm afraid so, and it would not be her lucky days that lay in front of her." He agreed.

"One more thing, before I step out of this chamber and being bullied and protecting Arthur from lord knows what, I found a handkerchief at my bedside the very first time I heard the female voice calling for me," he told Gaius. "What do you think it means?" he asked then.

"Probably nothing that has to do with your destiny just yet," Gaius answered. "But since you said you were hearing _female_ voice in the middle of the _night_, I thought you could've figured something out already." He continued, trying to put two with two. "And to add the fact that _Morgana_ had been acting quite oddly, I thought she could do a very fine suspect, don't you think so?" he asked Merlin as if it was the simplest math.

Merlin was gobsmacked. He did not think of that before. No, he did not _dare_ to think of that before. The idea of putting Morgana into the picture, it was far too vague. But now that Gaius had mentioned it, Merlin might as well want to consider the possibilities of Morgana was the one who has been calling him. The only question left was; how did she learn his other name? Perhaps it was time to get closer to her. Not to abide by his feelings towards her, of course, if he can manage that. "I think I know what I'm supposed to do." He said.

"Well, that was a nice thing to hear from you. Just be careful, won't you? You may never know what strikes Morgana next." Gaius commented. Or at least that was what Merlin thought it was; a comment.

Merlin made no regard to the old physician and again, as usual, went for the exit, remembering the crown prince has to be ready for his _practice_. He could not understand why the prince would need any more practises. Arthur's body size alone could crush a fair few enemies, not to mention those armours he will be wearing; he is simply invincible in it. "Oh, about Morgana's birthday... have you heard? She's hosting a masked ball. All those masqueraded and disguised faces." He informed Gaius, although he bet Gaius had known about it.

"Are you trying to tell me you are going?" Gaius cast him an incredulous look. Be as much as Merlin wanted to go to the ball, Gaius could not help but to imagine a ludicrous scene if Merlin was actually going to attend the ball.

"Well, what's wrong with me going to a ball? For once, couldn't I pause from hurrying here and there after my destiny, a bunch of works Arthur had put me into, not to mention helping you with the chores." He retorted. Well, he did not mean it to sound that way, but that was what came out from him.

Gaius paused into a silent for a while before grinning. "Not at all. It's just that, it occur to me that attending the ball is like volunteering to be her suitor. Don't you think so?" he quizzed. "I know she had invited all of Uther's subjects, no matter who they are. And even if Uther can't see anything strange about it, can you? She is expecting someone. At least, I think she is. Who else could it be than her suitor?" Gaius added.

Merlin could do nothing than one of the stupidest things he had ever done. He just stood there and blushed a little too deeply. Well, if he did not get the picture before, he did now. Perhaps that was what bothering Arthur all this while. It turned out that Arthur figured it out faster than he did. _'Of course, he has the charm, you don't.'_ He reminded himself. Somehow he felt what Gaius had said just now was pretty true too. The idea of him getting out there and asking for Morgana's hand for even a dance is too ludicrous. It was all just because he had never tried that before. He had never been given the chance to, even. _'Well, that was going to end pretty soon,'_ he said again to himself.

"It could be an old friend..." Merlin joked as he finally exited the room, leaving Gaius with his chemistry set again.

He made his way to Arthur's bedchamber only to find him sitting on his chair (of course his chair, what else could he be sitting on?) and it looked like he was lost in his own thoughts. _'What are the odds?'_ he said as he shut the door behind him.

"You are late, as always." Arthur greeted him.

"Well, I was early yesterday." Merlin defended himself from the outright injustice, as true as the fact might be.

"Only to leave a couple of minutes to stumble all over my pile of tunics." Arthur corrected. "You're as good as being late." He vindicated. The crown prince was all ready for his practice. Seemed to already taken his breakfast, maybe Gwen had brought his breakfast for him.

"Is there anything I could do for you?" Merlin asked, ignoring Arthur's comment. He was not late, and that was that.

"Well, it seemed like somebody else had done almost everything you're supposed to already. So, go and make yourself useful somewhere. I am off for my practise." Arthur said, taunting his manservant a bit.

Merlin was heading to the exit, as always, being dismissed by his own master. That was not the odds. He had always being dismissed. He went straight on to find Gwen. Not that there was much he could do with her, well, first of all, she was his friend, second, perhaps there would be a chance for him to set his eyes on a certain royal ward with turquoise eyes and breathtaking smile. Three, the most essential above all, he would like to ask Gwen's opinion if he was to attend Morgana's ball. Maybe he could even talk Gwen of helping him dressing up for the ball, as well.

"How was Morgana?" he asked Gwen as they were exchanging moments of relief back at the kitchen. That was a pretty weird question to be asked, even to him. But he has to do what had to be done. _'Or the question to your mystery won't be answered,'_ he told himself mentally.

"Ecstatic." Gwen replied with a smirk, arranging the golden dinner plates onto the right place. "She was... as if miracle, been having a pretty sweet dreams lately." She informed Merlin. If Gwen did not know Merlin better, she could swear him having intention of prying. There was something about Merlin she thought she did not know yet. Almost like the other side of him. She had seen him happy, yes, there was countless times of it. She had seen him sad, panic, goodness, Merlin looked downright stupid when he panicked. There was also times where she could see jealousy flashed in his eyes. And that jealousy was rare. Merlin has not been jealous for nothing. And it was funny to see Merlin was pissed in the name of jealousy. In certain things, Gwen was proud to say she knew Merlin better than Gaius does. Like his love life, for example. He may be good at hiding his feelings (or thought he is good at hiding his feelings), Gwen could see right through him (like Morgana could see right through her). In easier term, female was better than male in this sort, _romances_. "What was her current statement would do to you, anyway?" Gwen asked him back.

"Nothing." He hasted. "Just curious, you know. It's been quite a while since what had happened. You know what I meant." He said.

"You didn't mean to pry, did you?" she quizzed him.

Merlin was slightly gobsmacked at the comment. "Uh- no, absolutely no." He answered.

Then Gwen casted him a look which always worked to pry any lies from him. Merlin replied the look with the same gesture he always used when Gaius or Arthur looked at him that way, he smiled. It was foolish enough for Arthur to see his manservant turned into a smiling slave, but Merlin did hope it will work the same to Gwen.

"Don't you have anything better to do, anyways?" she continued quizzing him. "Instead of standing around here and being... well, in Arthur's term, _useless_." She commented. "Sorry," she added.

"I've been told off," he replied curtly.

"Again?"

"Not the unusual... besides, there is something I would like to talk to you about." He said.

"Well, is this going to be a serious and useful discussion or a juicy and unlikely gossip?" Gwen quizzed again.

"Are you going to attend Morgana's ball?" Merlin ignored her question.

Gwen casted him a dubious look. "I am the maidservant of the Lady Morgana. Could I?" she replied with a question.

"Well... why not? You heard her yourself, didn't you? She invited everyone to the ball. This will be just like the previous one, except that this one is masqueraded." He pointed out.

"And you're asking me this because..." Gwen asked rhetorically.

"I would like to know what one would where to a party like this one."

"Dress like you dressed to the other party. But don't forget your mask." Gwen said. "I supposed." She added.

***

"_Emrys..." she whispered in front of the masqueraded figure. Although there were only the two of them in the garden, she felt as if what she was about to say was only for his ears to hear and nothing else._

"_I love you too, milady," he took her words right before she could say it._

_Morgana could not believe her luck. Well, not totally for somebody loving her, but to actually found someone that could... really understand her. 'So this is bliss, this is divine,' she let her heart whispered silently. She could not let go off the sight of the blue-gold pools in front of her. The captivating eyes behind the mask. Had she wished for she could see the face that was hiding behind it. After what it felt for countless while, she felt the same sensation of touch on her lips. She was just about to blend herself into the embrace of her love when she heard an unlikely familiar masculine voice._

"_Merlin?"_

_The kiss broke and Morgana's lips were parted immediately from Emrys'. She turned her heels around and found Arthur standing right in the hallway. She felt her head's temperature was growing. Of anger or embarrassment, she could not decide as she could not even think straight right now. Somehow, surprisingly, there was no Merlin like there would always was. Merlin was nowhere to be seen around Arthur. Morgana found she had too many questions to ask. 'Why in the world the royal prat is here?' was among the question she intended to ask. If she had not been cut by Arthur._

"_What in the world do you two think you were doing?" Arthur asked, unsure how to sound himself. Either bemused or furious, he was confused._

_Morgana was confused herself. She caught Arthur's glare towards the person behind her, so she turned around again. There, she was shocked to find not Emrys, but Merlin standing there. At the very same spot they were kissing just a few moments ago. Morgana refused to believe she was in this situation, she did all she can to prove what she knew impossible. Then she found her world went pitch black when she spotted the very same mask Emrys was wearing in the hands of Merlin. This is weird... Merlin is Emrys??_

***

"Are you okay, Morgana? You seemed to have a bad night yesterday." Uther asked the royal ward when Morgana was about to go for a walk in the afternoon.

"I had a... well, disturbing dreams." She told him, somewhat honestly.

The king's smile turned upside down at the statement. "Had you not taken your potion last night?" he asked out of concern.

"It wasn't like the previous nightmare, my lord. This one was just a weird dream. A rather odd one, that's all. I don't think it means anything." She told him calmly so not to be misinterpreted.

"So, why do you think it's disturbing?"

"I am rather shocked to find your heir _intruding_ my good night dream." A lazy tone came out from her with rolled eyes.

"It was odd." He simply commented as he walked away.

Morgana took a deep breath in for a while to free her from the bemusing thoughts.

"You dreamt of Arthur?" she heard Gwen chirped in.

"I did not dream of him, Gwen. He came uninvited." She corrected.

"I was just wondering... you know. Who's to say you wouldn't be falling for him?"

"Gwen, erase the thought!" Morgana wore an amused look. She swatted Gwen's arm playfully as they shared the laughter for the thought. Little did she know the laughter that came out of Gwen hinted the sense of relief.

Gwen and Morgana walked side-by-side towards the castle exit. Just as they were walking, they passed before the very two individuals Morgana tried to avoid for quite the moment. They traded greetings and bids, but they both did not miss the change of expression when passing the individuals. Gwen noticed Morgana's cheeks formed blushes when Merlin greeted her, which she thought rather odd, for Morgana had never yet blushed around Merlin. While Morgana could not help noticing how hard Gwen was trying to steady her want to laugh until Arthur greeted her. Well, for Morgana, that was not the odd. She knows Gwen has a thing for Arthur.

Gwen, being herself, could not help wondering why in the world Morgana would blush around Merlin. There must have something that happened between them. Or it might be the dream Morgana told her Arthur intruded. Merlin wanted to attend the ball badly that Gwen thought he could die not doing so. _'Well, Guinevere, you're a genius... You're witnessing a rather conflicted love sparks.'_ She told herself.

***

"Did you notice that?" Arthur asked his manservant right after they passed the two girls at the courtyard.

"Notice what?" Merlin asked back. Unlike free-handed Arthur, Merlin was trying hard not to let any part of the prince's armour to fall down on earth or he would have to clean it up all over again, which was not a pleasant thing to do.

"I'd always thought you were more observant than I am." Arthur commented with a sarcastic smirk.

Merlin did not answer the statement. Well, he would be a fool if he did answer the pointless invitation of a bickering.

"They had just blushed." Arthur told him. His tone was dry and unreadable by Merlin.

"Who blushed?"

"The girls, you fool." He rolled his eyes as if his statement was the simplest math.

"Well, what are the odds? There are many other girls blushed at your presence in this kingdom." Merlin commented.

"Gwen and Morgana don't usually blushed around me," he pointed out.

"Then, they must've been blushed around me," Merlin suggested, which he received a free smack on the head from the prince.

"Wake up from your sappy dream and get back to world," Arthur said in a commanding tone.

'_It would be my dream come true if Morgana did blush around me.' _Merlin thought, although knowing it was wrong to have such intention. Right then he remembered the handkerchief he kept in his pocket. It has been a while since he promised himself to find the owner and return the handkerchief. Perhaps it was time to put aside other business of misery and figure out the piece of puzzle. _'It couldn't be taking that long anyways... I'm a genius,'_ so he thought.

**There, what 'dya think? I'm so sorry... late again... I'm always the latecomer.. well, perhaps I should change my penname to lt3c0mer... I thought Gwen got nargles in her head there... with those interrogations going on between her and Merlin... What do you think will happen next? I just love it when I get reviews concerned your P.O.V... anyways... Oh, hey... thanks for the grammatical reviews... you guys were so helpful... and observant. I missed the stupid mistakes.**


	4. Chapter 4

**Hey,hey! Me again... Okay, I've thought of this for quite some time, it seems that I just could not find the right word to express it all out. So, forgive me for posting this L.A.M.E chapter, but I felt obliged to post it somehow...heh... and pardon any uninteresting events in this chapter... they were all killers, true. And thank you all for your continuous supports! They were greatly appreciated. Those reviews; I love them. Now, I'll just shut up and let you read.**

**CHAPTER FOUR: KISS AND... RUN?**

**DISCLAIMER: I'm getting tired doing this suck-eth thing... I do not own the characters of this TV Show... hwaarghhh!**

_**Previously on Take Me Away on a Night Mare...**_

"_I've been hearing voices lately. A female voice. At night time, you see. Almost reminded me of someone,"_

"_What do you think it means?" _

"_Probably nothing that has to do with your destiny just yet,"_

"_But since you said you were hearing female voice in the middle of the night, I thought you could've figured something out already." _

"_Are you going to attend Morgana's ball?"_

_This is weird... Merlin is Emrys?_

"_Gwen and Morgana don't usually blushed around me," _

"_Then, they must've been blushed around me,"_

Somewhere in the land where dark magic rules, a dark Kingdom stood whom the king long for a war to take over Camelot. King Nicholas was plotting against the one kingdom that would only make his kingdom to become an empire. The ruthless megalomaniac of a king has everything planned perfectly. His treacherous scheme was only waiting for the right person to approach to be laid out. He waited quite a time before a mere boy came to take the challenge. King Nicholas was sceptic to let the boy to run the errand, but after being told that the boy possessed strong dark magic and descended from ancient royalty of the kingdom himself, the king agreed. The boy's name was Adrian.

Adrian got ready to head to Camelot. He had troubles before in searching the perfect time. Now that he had found the perfect excuse, and his sly mind was plotting the perfect scheme. He would go Camelot at the time the royal ball for Lady Morgana was approaching, and he would make her the key for King Uther's undoing. Adrian tied his stuffs to his black horse carefully. As he was getting himself ready, he was thinking of a way to approach the fair lady innocently. He never had the chance to meet the Lady Morgana himself, but people say she was one of the most beautiful women in time. "We'll see how far the rumour is true, Night Mare." He said to his mare. With a slick move, he hopped his way onto his Night Mare. Adrian blue eyes shone as he started his travelling to Camelot.

While at Camelot, Morgana seemed not to have any more dreams. Bad or sweet ones. She's got no more dreams that she has been waiting for. Another chance to see Emrys, another chance to feel the gentleness to the lips brushed against hers. The last dream she dreamt about him is not vivid enough to be told. But she did remember the promise he made in it. _"I will come to you, milady,"_ was all he said. And she waited and waited. Nobody came to her just yet. Well, Merlin did, to send her flowers when Gwen was doing laundries, to play chess when Arthur did not want to. Then, there was Gaius, always asking about any of her paranormal dreams, making her potions and whatsoever. To make things simple, her life now was quite empty. Somehow, she noticed something was going on between the crown prince and the maidservant.

Morgana had once heard Gwen was giving a 'pep talk' to Arthur one day. And she knew nobody loves Arthur romantically more than Gwen. When she heard they were talking, Gwen was telling him how to be a good king and how to treat his subjects. Odds are Arthur was actually listening. It was something that rarely happened when Arthur was with Morgana herself. Right then she was thinking nobody suits Arthur better than Gwen. She was the perfect match for him. But there was at times Morgana felt slightly jealous towards her maidservant. What she meant was, she was free. At least, Gwen wasn't caged in the castle. She was free to exit and enter the castle without having the King to know, while Morgana, the entire castle had at least to know where she was going and when will she return. But there was sometimes she was being set loose. And the fact that Gwen was a lot closer to Merlin than she is. Morgana had no clue at all why should she be jealous of this. Perhaps it was the stiffness of conversation between her and Merlin? _'Yes, perhaps it is,'_ Morgana thought. _'But it will all be your fault,'_ she added to herself. She recalled that there were times that Merlin told her that she could confide into him if she wanted to. That she could believe him. Somehow, there was something inside of her saying that she should not tell or confide into the boy just yet. Perhaps it was just her ego all along. She could trust him, she should. And she would have another best friend and confidante besides Gwen.

Morgana strolled along the corridor alone as she had dismissed Gwen to the kitchen after she made up her room. There was nothing to be complain about today, no Arthur around her to bicker with, the skies are blue, the day is bright, and Morgana could tell that even the sun is smiling. Therefore, she walked and walked with nowhere to go. 'Now would be the perfect time to think about Emrys. He said he would come. Could he mean that he would attend her ball? Or could he be watching her all along? Or like the minstrel's play, he would arrive at the right time. Somehow, by the dream that Merlin is Emrys still haunted her. She knew it was just a dream. But what if it was all true? Merlin was the one she has been waiting for. He was not that bad. Then she saw Merlin walked passed her. "Merlin," she said.

Merlin stopped his walk and turned around. He was surprised to see Morgana called him. Out of no clear reason, he meant. If it was urgent, Morgana would just grab him by the arm. The strong person. "Yes, milady?" he responded.

"Are you busy?" she asked. There was no Arthur around. She was wondering if the boy is still on errands. She did not want to come in between Merlin's tasks, if he was really the one she has been waiting for. "I recall the time you said I could trust you," she started. Seeing Merlin shifted a bit, she decided to finish her sentence before he even had the chance to interrupt her. "I wanted you to know, it's not that I don't trust you back there. I was depressed."

"Understood,"

Morgana then gave him her _'I'm not finished yet'_ look. "I was thinking..." Morgana hesitated to finish her sentences. She looked at Merlin in hope he would just cut her in again. But, she turned out disappointed. _'Come on, Morgana. You can think. You think...'_ Morgana motivated herself. "If you had noticed..." she hesitated even more. Morgana motioned closer to him as she decided to reveal one of the most secretive secrets she held. She had noticed the change of look in Merlin too. Morgana opened her lips, before realizing that they were still at the place where anyone could be hearing or eavesdropping them and stopped for a while. "Don't you think Arthur is behaving quite odd, lately?" she decided to say at last. Her mentality sighed of her lack of courage to confess her feelings. She felt so low of herself. _'Unbelievable!'_ she almost spat the word.

"I wonder why," Merlin shrugged with a smirk.

"What do you mean?" Morgana asked after sensing something hidden behind the reply. She had the feeling that whatever in the reply made Merlin felt something. She meant, he almost sounded like _'Don't pretend you don't know the answer,'_

'_Ouch,'_ she pushed back the thought. Whatever Merlin hid behind the reply, he had Morgana intrigued to find out the answer. She cast him an unknowing look. "What did you meant?" she asked.

Merlin shot her a daring look. At least to Morgana, that was the most daring look her had casted towards her. "What do you mean, what I meant?" he said, almost snapping. "The whole castle is talking about you and Arthur. Morgana this, Arthur that. You know, sometimes I thought I might throw up to have to hear Arthur talk about you like... 13/7?" he blurted out.

Morgana looked at him with a surprised look; she had never expected his to come out from Merlin. Especially on her and Arthur. He looked almost... jealous.

"And everything you ever worried about is him. It was always him. He has all the attention. Sure, I was nothing compared him—"

Merlin stopped when a pair of lips crushed on his. It was long before he returned the kiss, finally daring to confess. It was almost bliss. Until both of the two kissing couples were in state where and who they are at the present. They broke the kiss.

Morgana looked at Merlin in the eye. Her cheeks flushed. Her lips are somewhat red. She took quite a moment before she found her voice to speak. "Don't sell short of yourself. You are more than that. You're anything but ordinary to me," she said. "Remember that... and oh, please don't tell anyone yet about this. Not until I'm ready." She added, before passing him without turning to glance.

Morgana was practically skidding the rest of the way to her chamber. Something she did just now gave her a jolt of realisation. Perhaps, Emrys had come to her. He has been with her all the time. If it were true, she would not mind anymore dreaming of kissing Emrys who turned out to be Merlin before he ran off like always. No, Morgana would not mind at all, for she thought she would give all of her to Merlin.

Somehow, the next morning had changed her. She woke up with a dream of Emrys coming to Camelot, with many things carried on a mare. And she was woken up by a neighing horse. Morgana got up from her bed and rushed towards her window. She was intrigued to know who the rider was, having the dream influence still on her. She saw a young man of Merlin's and Arthur's age, a boy, precisely, got down from a black horse. The boy was talking to the castle guards before they let him past into the castle courtyard. She stared at him. She thought she heard whispering that said; _I have come_. She then caught herself almost leaning outside the window to have a clearer view of the boy. A few moments past, the boy looked around him and found her. Their eye contact lasted longer than it should have been. And as soon as they parted, Morgana felt the urge inside her brain that screamed, _'Your Emrys is here!'_

With a quick ready of herself, she rushed to find the boy, finding the boy was talking to Uther. She looked at the boy; his golden pendant was glowing beautifully that it almost blinded her. Yet, she was not sure why nobody made no complaints about it. When their eyes met again; Morgana felt all of the sudden like he was the love of her life and rushed towards him. "Adrian!" she hugged him tightly. "I've been waiting for you," she said.

"Morgana. I've been missing to see you too. You're more beautiful than the people said." Adrian replied. _'Nothing complicated yet, so far. With Morgana's heart and mind with me, I can have her bringing Uther down,'_ his mind reminded him of his task. This was easy for him. But little did he know, this game will get tougher later on.

**Hey, I know! Haha, they kissed!...done with the chapter... look, I have something I want to ask you all out there, and I considered this was semi-serious question. But before that, I'm really, so, very, AND EXTREMELY SORRY for late and short update. But tell me, satisfied? If you don't, give me what you expect from me, I'll give you more than that! I think I'll just make a poll for the question... I've been thinking to make this one a short fanfic, you know... so you guys still have one more chapter to give your thoughts before I made my own decision. And you know me... a chapter is a lot of time to spend thinking! Hahaha.. P/S: 13/7 stands for 13 hours 7 days, kinda 24/7. LALALAND.**

**P/S: check out for the poll at my profile.**


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